Resident Evil Resistance may be monetized via cosmetic lootboxes

Resident Evil Resistance, the free 4v1 live service add-on to Resident Evil 3 remake, may be appropriately monetized via cosmetic microtransactions.

A new gameplay video for Resident Evil Resistance shows an Umbrella Corp. lootcrate, hinting at possible microtransaction purchases (see below at 4:04). The video, which is in Chinese, reveals Resistance has a progression scheme like any other live game. Resistance will dole out in-game currency called RP for beating certain daily, weekly, or monthly objectives and winning matches, which can then be spent on extras like lootcrates.

These "decorative boxes" only contain cosmetics, which makes sense given the huge kerfluffle around lootboxes. Umbrella crate rewards include weapon skins, collectible models, emotes, special voices, and customized appearances.

It's possible the game is monetized by allowing players buy in-game RP currency for real money, but that's yet to be confirmed. This seems likely, and we predicted monetized cosmetics back in September.

The entire reason these types of games exist is to monetize engagement, or to make money from increased play time. The more time a gamer invests into a live service game, the more likely they are to invest money too, especially with cosmetic microtransactions that customize a player's appearance.

These types of games allow for stable recurring revenues long after a game is shipped, and will supplement development endeavors for other games and continued live service content updates. We should see RE: Resistance similarly evolve and change shape over time.

Resident Evil Resistance launches alongside the Resident Evil 3 Remake on April 10, 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.